by Faith Gibson
DEACON
Stone Society Book 12
By Faith Gibson
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
The author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked status and trademark owners of the wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction.
Copyright © 2019 by Faith Gibson
Published by: Bramblerose Press LLC
Editor: Jagged Rose Wordsmithing
First edition: September 2019
Cover design: Jay Aheer, Simply Defined Art
Cover photography: Adobe Stock
ISBN: 978-1393215011
Dedication
For Laurann. You’re the reason I fell in love with paranormal. The fact that you read my books is humbling. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Acknowledgements
First off, I need to thank my readers for waiting on Deacon’s story. The Stone Clan is my heart and soul, and I can’t tell you all how much I appreciate you loving them almost as much as I do. I always knew this book would be hard to write, and it was. I hope you read the words and remember how precious family is. Whether by blood or not, there are people who come into your life and you just know they are your tribe.
Speaking of tribes, I have to thank mine. It grows and changes, but at the core, there are a certain group of people who take my journey with me. Some daily, some every once in a while. I couldn’t do it without you: Candy, Chris, Jennifer, Katie, Kendall, Kerstin, Nikki, and Riley – I love you all.
Thank you to the beta readers who take the time to read the unpolished version and offer feedback.
A special shout out goes out to Ana Martinez and Vernon Donbraska for choosing Sabrina’s name back when I was writing Jonas.
Jay Aheer of Simply Defined Art, thanks for making Deacon and the Atlanta cityscape shine.
To the man - I love you will never be enough.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Epilogue
A Note from the Author
Coming Soon
About the Author
Other Works by Faith Gibson
Prologue
2027
New Chicago
SABRINA WAS DESPERATE to find food. She opened all the cabinet doors again, praying she’d overlooked a can of soup or a container of noodles. She wasn’t surprised to find nothing. She was surprised the utilities hadn’t been turned off. It was the middle of the month, so hopefully they had a few more days until that happened. Because it would happen.
“Sabrina, I’m hungry,” Jasmine whined for the tenth time in as many minutes. Sabrina was hungry too, but there just wasn’t any food in the house. During the week, things weren’t so bad since they could at least eat lunch at school. But it was Saturday. She had used the last of the rice for breakfast. Trying to keep four mouths fed without money was getting impossible. Their mother, Michelle, had gone to work on a Tuesday three weeks ago and never returned. Her mom worked two jobs to make ends meet, and sometimes she went on a date on the free night she had off from the diner where she waitressed. Sabrina called both the office and diner when she didn’t come home, but both managers said her mom hadn’t shown up for work that day. Every day, Sabrina called, and every day, she received the same message. Nobody had seen nor heard from Michelle. When the manager at the office asked Sabrina who was looking after her and her siblings, she lied and told him their grandmother.
Being fifteen and the oldest, Sabrina took it upon herself to watch over her younger siblings, praying her mother would return, because if she didn’t, they were going to starve. Or worse. Sabrina knew she couldn’t get a job, not without quitting school. Even if she did that, she wasn’t old enough to work the hours it would take to bring in enough money to put food on the table and keep the lights and water on.
Sabrina had no idea who her father was. Jasmine’s had been killed in a drive-by shooting eight years ago, and Terrence and Jerrick’s father was in jail and had been since before Jerrick, their youngest brother, was born. Sabrina had no idea who the man’s parents were or if they were alive.
Sabrina’s grandmother, Cynthia Woodard, had money, but Sabrina didn’t think she’d be willing to help. When Sabrina had been born, her grandmother tried to get Michelle to give her up for adoption, but she’d refused. Grandmother had relented but vowed if Michelle didn’t finish school and go to college, she would be cut off permanently. Michelle towed the line for a couple years, but when she met Jasmine’s father, she’d fallen in love with the man who swore he’d take care of Michelle and her child. Both he and Cynthia were true to their word. Grandmother cut Michelle out of her life, and Maurice took care of them until he was gunned down.
“Bree!” Jasmine wailed.
“I know, Jas, but we just don’t have anything.” Sabrina blinked hard to keep the tears from falling. She had done the best she could for three weeks, but now it looked like it wasn’t going to be enough. She knew if she asked anyone for help, the police would come, and they’d be separated. With no other recourse, she went to her mother’s bedroom and found the notebook her mother kept with phone numbers, social security numbers, and insurance information. Sabrina took the book back into the kitchen where the landline hung on the wall. She didn’t know any other kids who still had the old-fashioned type phone, but she didn’t care if it wasn’t a fancy cell phone.
When she removed the receiver from the hook, she held her breath, praying there would be a dial tone. When the normally annoying sound came through, she sighed before taking another deep breath and dialed her grandmother’s number. After it rang five times, an automated voice spoke, saying the person she was trying to reach was unavailable. At the beep, she cleared her throat. “Uh, Grandmother, it’s Sabrina. I’m sorry to bother you, but Momma’s missing, and we’re all hungry. I did the best I could, and I wouldn’t call unless it was an emergency. We’re out of food, so I guess, to us, that’s an emergen—” Another beep sounded, and Sabrina stared at the receiver. She didn’t know whether to call back or not.
Sabrina hung the phone up and stood staring at it. A small hand found hers, and Sabrina looked down to find Jerrick staring at her with his thumb in his mouth. It was something he’d grown out of a long time ago, but after their mother didn’t return home, he’d reverted back to doing it and not only at night. She picked up his slight frame and hugged him close. Jasmine and Terrence were watching. “Did she answer? Is s
he going to help?” Jasmine asked.
“I left her a message, but yeah, she’ll help us,” Sabrina said, praying she wasn’t lying. “We just have to wait a few hours for her to get here. Let’s go play a game to get our minds off our bellies.”
Terrence and Jasmine hated Candyland, but it was the only game they had that Jerrick could play as well. Sabrina did her best to concentrate on the game, but she couldn’t stop wondering if she should try her grandmother again. If the woman didn’t get the message for a day or two, all of them were going to be starving. A spoonful of rice between her younger siblings wouldn’t last long in sating their hunger. Sabrina had given up her own portion and divided it between the others. It was a sacrifice she would make again if only they had something to share.
A knock at the door had all the kids freezing. “Stay here,” Sabrina said while standing from where they were seated around the worn coffee table. She peered through the peephole. When she saw not only her grandmother but a policeman and a scowling, strange woman, Sabrina shoved her fist in her mouth to keep from crying out. Sure, Grandmother had come to the rescue, but she’d brought trouble with her. Sabrina turned to look at the hopeful faces of her siblings, and in that moment, she knew she had no choice but to open the door.
“Sabrina? It’s your grandmother. Open up.” She looked again through the peephole to see her grandmother motioning toward the door to the cop. When he took a step forward, Sabrina unlocked the deadbolt. She pulled open the door slowly, but her grandmother pushed her way inside. That was Cynthia Woodard – large and in charge. “Sabrina, this is Officer Kelly and Miss Higgins.”
“Did you bring us some food?” Jerrick asked, still sitting on his knees by the coffee table.
“No. I thought we’d discuss your mother first.”
“But we’re hungry,” Jerrick whined.
“I’ll find something while you talk to your granddaughter,” Miss Higgins said.
“You won’t find anything. We ate the last of the rice this morning,” Sabrina told her.
“Surely there’s soup or something,” her grandmother responded.
“When I said we’re out of food, I meant completely out. I stretched it as far as I could.”
“I’ll send my partner to the store,” Officer Kelly offered. He stepped out of the room while pulling out his cell phone.
Miss Higgins asked, “Why don’t we sit down?”
Sabrina sat on the sofa, and her siblings rushed to sit beside her. Jerrick crawled onto her lap, and Sabrina wrapped her arms around his waist. He stuck his thumb in his mouth, leaning his head against her shoulder. She didn’t miss the frown on her grandmother’s face. Grandmother took a look at the battered chair and remained standing. Miss Higgins either wasn’t too good to sit on the worn-out furniture, or she was better at hiding her disgust. It wasn’t that bad.
As soon as the policeman returned, Miss Higgins asked, “How long has your mother been missing?”
“Three weeks. She left for work on Tuesday, the twelfth. She didn’t have to work at the diner that night, so she had a date. When she wasn’t home the next morning, I got worried and called the office. She never showed up that day. There or the diner. I kept calling, but she never went back to either job.”
“Who’s been taking care of you?”
Sabrina ducked her head. She knew she couldn’t lie, because she had no one to back her up. “I have.”
“You’ve been getting the kids to school and feeding them? What about paying bills?”
“I make sure they get on the bus, and then I walk since my bus comes early. I guess Momma paid the bills before she left since nothing’s been cut off yet.”
“You’re a very brave young lady, Sabrina. I understand wanting to take care of your brothers and sister, but that responsibility shouldn’t fall on your shoulders. Your grandmother told me” — Miss Higgins looked at a notepad Sabrina hadn’t noticed before then — “Jasmine’s father is deceased, and the boys’ dad is incarcerated. What can you tell me about their grandparents?”
Sabrina shrugged. “Nothing. I don’t really remember Jasmine’s grandparents. We haven’t seen them since the funeral. We never saw the boys’ grandparents.”
Sabrina looked at her own grandmother. “What’s going to happen to us?”
Instead of Cynthia responding, Miss Higgins spoke up. “First thing we’re going to do is have the police try to find your mother. While they’re doing that, we’re going to see if we can find your siblings’ grandparents or some close relatives. You’ll be going with Mrs. Woodard.”
“No! You can’t separate us. Grandmother! Do something. You can take them in. You can take us all in!”
“That’s just not possible, Sabrina. You will come live with me, but I’m afraid your brothers and sister will have to find other accommodations.”
“You mean like a foster home! No. Miss Higgins, please don’t separate us. I can take care of them. At least until Momma comes home.” The adults passed a look between themselves, and in that moment, she knew – her mother wasn’t coming home.
“You’ve done a wonderful job looking out for your siblings, Sabrina. But you just aren’t old enough to be given that responsibility full time, especially without the means to support them. I promise I’ll do my best to place them with family first.”
Another knock sounded at the door, and the officer opened it for his partner. A younger man was holding bags of food and a drink carrier. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, but I figured burgers were a safe bet,” he said as he carried it all toward the kitchen. Their apartment was small with the living room being separated from the kitchen by a six-person table. Her siblings, momentarily forgetting the conversation, ran to the officer.
“Thank you,” Sabrina said as she pulled the food from the bags and handed Jasmine and Terrence a burger and order of fries, then opened Jerrick’s for him, getting him situated with ketchup before she passed out the drinks. Only then did she sit down to her own meal. “I know you’re starving, but don’t eat so fast you make yourselves sick.” Sabrina didn’t have the same problem. Even though she was hungry, she had trouble swallowing around the lump in her throat.
Yes, they needed help, but at what cost? They were going to be separated. She knew it, and it broke her heart. But was that worse than dying from starvation? At some point, the utilities would have been turned off, and then they’d have likely frozen in the coming months.
While they were eating, the adults whispered to each other. Grandmother’s face was sad yet stern as always. The officers kept glancing at them with pity in their eyes, and Miss Higgins just looked tired. Sabrina knew how she felt. Instead of approaching them all, she had to try one more time. She stood and walked to her grandmother, taking the woman’s hand and leading her down the short hallway to her bedroom. When she closed the door, she begged, “Grandmother, please. Take us all.”
“Sabrina, I’m sorry. I just don’t have the room. Things have changed since you were little.” Her grandmother tried to smile, but she just couldn’t seem to bring herself to do it. “I’ve been sick, child. I had to stop working a few years ago, and I don’t have the money I used to. I sold my home, and now I live in a two-bedroom apartment. Granted, it’s in a nice neighborhood, but I just can’t take them all in. And now with your mother...” Grandmother lost the stoic façade she always wore, and tears leaked from her eyes. “Now that your mother’s gone, I’ll have to take care of any finances she left you with. I’m truly sorry. But I promise, we’ll keep in touch with your brothers and sister, and I’ll make sure you can see them as much as you want.”
Sabrina nodded, refusing to cry. She had to stay strong for her siblings. Returning to the living room, she pulled them all to the couch and told them, “I promise you, no matter what, we’ll always be a family. I’ll come see you as often as I can.” Jerrick didn’t completely understand what was going on, but the older ones did. When Miss Higgins told them she’d contacted Jasmine’s grandparents, Sabrina
felt a little better, but it was her brothers she worried about. If they had no other family, they would be put into foster care, and Sabrina had seen enough kids in her class come out of the system with scars, both internal and external.
While they were packing, an older couple appeared in the living room. Jasmine’s grandparents, Ezra and Delsie Wilson, welcomed their granddaughter with open arms, and when they heard about the boys’ plight, they agreed then and there to take them into their home. Miss Higgins made a few calls and was happy to announce the three of them could remain together for the time being. Sabrina almost asked if she could go with them, but the four of them would be asking too much. They packed as many of their belongings as they could. Since the apartment was paid up until the end of the month, Grandmother assured them all they could come back for anything they couldn’t take with them on their first trip.
After tight hugs and lots of tears, Sabrina watched as her siblings walked away with Jasmine’s grandparents. She knew it was for the best, but it didn’t make the heartache any less.
Chapter One
DEACON WAS DESPERATE to find relief. Visiting Jonathan and sitting with Priscilla was painful, but being around Sabrina was equally as tormenting. From the first time Dr. Bailey – Sabrina – walked into Jonathan’s room while Deacon was there, he had fought the pull to drag his mate to the nearest closet and make her his. He couldn’t, though. If she was anyone else, anyone besides a doctor, maybe he would. But Sabrina was smart. Beautiful. She was needed by those like Jonathan who depended on her to make them better. She would be a blessed addition to his life, but what could he offer her? Other than money, nothing.
From patrolling for Unholy, watching over the Pen, and hiding from his mate, he was exhausted. That was saying a lot considering he was a Gargoyle. It took a lot for them to get tired. On top of all that was the mental exhaustion from his empathic power. Or curse, as he usually called it. All Goyles felt emotions in others, but it was amplified in him for some reason. Deacon had been around the others when they found their mates, so he knew what to expect. Or so he thought. Staying away from Dr. Sabrina Bailey was equal parts necessary and excruciating. He had too much on his plate to get involved, but at the same time, he needed her like he needed air.
